Understanding the Statusphere and Blogosphere: An Analysis of Virtual Backpacker Spaces

Abstract

The continued commoditization of attention suggests that researchers shift their questions to focus on how information is consumed, shared, created, and applied. In this context, a greater understanding of the virtual infrastructure could provide some insights into the mediation of the tourist experience by social media, the uses and meanings associated with certain types of social media, could have great implications for tourism marketing and management. The main objective of this paper was to understand the spatial structure of the virtual space of backpacking through the mobile-virtual ethnographic examination of four types of social media (Facebook, blogs, YouTube, and Twitter) by eight tech-savvy backpackers. The findings are discussed within the context of two main virtual spaces: the Statusphere and the Blogosphere.